Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of Francis Sharman, a shepherd, born 1849 in Whissendine, Rutland and his wife Eliza Sharman (nee Dains, married in the 4th quarter of 1869 in the Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire district), born 1849 in Pickwell, Leicestershire. Herbert was born in the 4th quarter of 1885 in Leesthorpe, Leicestershire, his siblings were, George, a farm boy, born 1878, Fanny, a schoolgirl, born 1881 and Eliza, a schoolgirl, born 1882, the latter three siblings were all born in Whissendine, Thomas, a schoolboy, born 1883 in Leesthorpe, Leicestershire, in April 1891 the family home was at Grange Cottages, Leesthorpe. In March 1901 Herbert was employed as a farm servant and was residing as a servant at Little Dalby, Leicestershire. In April 1911 Herbert was employed as a farm labourer and was residing as a boarder at Braunston, Rutland. The memorial tablet inside All Saints Church, Braunston incorrectly records Herbert as Ernest Sharman. Before the war Herbert had been employed by Mr. A. M. Bradshaw of Oakham as a hay trusser. He was killed by a bullet in the vicinity of Lens. Although Herbert is shown in the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Memorial Register to have a wife, Marion, no record is to be found in his surviving service documents that refer to his being married, except a letter showing a weekly pension awarded to his widow, all other correspondence is with his mother Eliza, who Herbert gave as his next of kin.
Herbert was called up into the Army on a Short Service engagement for the Duration of the War with the Colours and in the Army Reserve on the 9th December 1915 in Oakham, Rutland. He gave his place of residence as 26, Kings Road, Oakham, his age as 30 years and 4 months and his trade or calling as hay turner. He stated that he was unmarried. He gave his father Thomas and mother Eliza Sharman of Mount Pleasant Cottages, Whissendine, Oakham, later changed to Braunston, Oakham as his next of kin. His medical examination recorded that he was 5 foot 7 inches in height, weighed 141 pounds and he had a chest measurement of between 36 and 38½ inches. His record of service began when he attested into the Army as a Private, on the 9/12/15. Transferred to the Army Reserve on the 10/12/15. Mobilised on the 12/4/16. Posted to 3/1st Leicestershire Yeomanry and allotted service number 3683. Transferred to the 1/4th Battalion Leicestershire Regiment and allotted Regimental number 7496 on the 15/12/16. Embarked Folkestone on the 15/12/16. Disembarked Boulogne on the 15/12/16. Transferred to No.12 Infantry Base depot at Calais on the 16/12/16. Admitted to No.30 General Hospital, Calais suffering from tonsillitis on the 21/12/16 – 29/12/16. Admitted to No.35 General Hospital, Calais on the 29/12/16. Discharged from hospital on the 2/1/17. Posted to the 1/5th Battalion Leicestershire Regiment on the 18/1/17. Joined the 1/5th Battalion Leicestershire Regiment in the field on the 7/2/17. Allotted Regimental number 242413. Killed in action, in the field on the 8/6/17. A summary of his service records: Home Service, 12/4/16 – 14/12/16. British Expeditionary Force, France 15/12/16 – 8/6/17. A letter dated 29th December 1917 from the Ministry of Pensions awarded Herbert’s widow a weekly pension of thirteen shillings and nine pence to commence on the 24th December 1917. The following information was provided by Herbert’s mother Eliza Sharman on the 12th September 1919, and was witnessed and signed by E. T. Glasspool, Vicar, Whissendine, Oakham on ARMY FORM W. 5080 (Information on deceased soldier’s family) Father of soldier, dead. Mother of soldier, Eliza Sharman of Mount Pleasant, Whissendine, Oakham. Full blood brothers of soldier, B. Sharman, age 51 of 34, Patrick Street, Market Harborough. G. Sharman, age 43 of 18, Gladstone Street, Market Harborough. T. Sharman, age 36 of 36, Kings Road, Oakham. Full blood sisters of soldier, C. Gibson, age 46 of Church Cottages, Whissendine. F. Long, age 42 of Whissenthorpe, Oakham. E. Trigg, age 38 of Langham Gate House, Oakham. Herbert’s surviving service documents are in a very poor condition, and much of the finer detail relating to the period of time that he spent in the army, is either illegible or missing, hence the sparse overall description of his military and personal family history.
The War Diary records: 8 Jun-17 - TRENCHES. Assembled for attack at 5.00pm. At 8.30pm attacked FOSSE 3 with C Coy on the right, B Coy on the left, D Coy in support and A Co carrying. The left Coy was held up and lost all its officers, Captain WYNNE killed, 2nd Lt FARRAR killed, 2nd Lt NELSON wounded. The right Coy went right through killing about 80 of the enemy, taking about 8 prisoners and destroying 3 machine guns and 2 trench mortars. Our casualties 5 officers and 91 other ranks.